Arthur c



(No Model.)

A. 0. GROVER. OOMBINED CAR AND PIPE COUPLING.

Patented Mar. 31, 1891.

o l t ARTHUR GROVER, OF \VILLOUGIIBY, OHIO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ED\VARD J. DIOKEY, OF SAME PLACE.

COMBINED CAR AND PIPE COUPLlNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 110.449,.219, dated March 31, 1891.

Application filed April 3, 1890. Serial No. 346,424. (No model.)

T to whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. Gnovnn, of \Villoughby, in the county of Lake and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and use- E111 Improvements in Combined Automatic lar and Pipe Couplers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to'which it [0 pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improven'lents in a combined automatic car and pipe coupler; and it consists in certain features of construction and in combination of parts hereinafter described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, in section, through the center of the device. section, on line 03 as, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the coupling-bar detached. Fig. 4: is a side elevation of member B detached. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of member E de tached.

A represents the dra\ -bar connected in the usual manner with the car. This bar, as

shown in Fig. 2,is round; but this is not material, as the draw-bar may be square or rectangular in cross-section, if preferred. The outer end of the draw-bar is flaring, as shown 0 at A, and has a vertical hole A for receiving an ordinary coupling pin, if need be. The draw-bar has also a vertical slot or recess for receiving the coupling-slide B. The draw-bar has slots (L a and a slot a, and has depending 5 cars a a located on either side of slot a,

for purposes hereinafter mentioned.

O is the coupling-bar, the same being round in cross-section and provided at either end with enlarged and approximately spherical heads C, with square shoulders at c. The coupling-bar has a central hole 0 of suilicient size for the purpose, and extending the entire length of the coupling-bar.

D is a sliding head or follower adapted to fit easily inside the head or draw-bar, and in case the draw-bar and head are round this head is prevented from turning by means of pin D, projecting from the head and operating in slots a a of the draw-bar. The

outer face of the head D or attachment of the Fig. 2 is an end elevation, in

latter, as the case may be, has a semi-spherical depression D adapted to fit the head of the coupling-bar, so as to constitute a balland-socket joint. I'l'ead D is provided with short outwardly-projecting pinsd As head D is usually of cast-iron, some better material should be provided for engaging the coupling-pin, and hence I prefer to chamber head D and to fit the chamber with, for instance,

a block D of comparatively hard rubber, or in place of rubber bronze, brass, or whatever material may be found most practicable for the purpose.

I have reduced my invention to practice in an experimental way, employing a rubber block D that serves the purpose well. A pipe (Z connects with head D, the pipe extending with an easy fit through a hole in cross-bar a of the draw-bar. Between the. crossbar and head D is located a spiral 7o spring (1, the spring being coiled around the pipe and bearing against the head and the cross-bar, the action of the spring tending to force head D outward, so as to make a tight jointat the ball-and-socket bearing aforesaid. There is a central opening through head D and block D, so that there is always open commui'iication between pipe (Z and bore oof the coupling-bar B, and as the coupling device is supposed to be alike on opposing cars, air, steam, or fluid of any kind, as the case may be, may be passed from one car to the other through the coupling-bars. hen the ears are not coupled, the engagement of pins D D with the forward end wall of slot a limits the movement of head D in this direction. To pipe cl is attached a piece of flexible pipe or hose (1 the latter being supposed to connect, for instance, to the supply'pipeof the air-brake. The gravity coupling-slide 13 (shown in detail in Fig. 4t) has a rccessor opening D, adapted to embrace with an easy fit the coupling-bar O, and has a lar er opening B adapted to receive loosely the head O of the coupling-pin. Member B has internal 5 square shoulders Z) and is provided with short pins 1) b, and has a hook, staple, ear, or other suitable device at b for attaching, for instance, a lever, chain, or whatever may be used for elevating slide B in uncoupling the too cars. \Vhen the cars are coupled, pins come close to but do not engage slide 15; but when slide B is elevated and the cars are uncoupled, head D is advanced by the action of spring (1, so that pins d extend under shoulder 1) and hold slide B in its elevated position.

Slide B cannot easily be drawn up while there is a draft on the coupling-bar, and it is customary to back the engine to loosen these slides. If, therefore, the operator under such conditions should elevate slide B he would have to hold it elevated until such time as the cars were so far separated that head D could advance and lock slide B by means of pin (1 To remedy this difficulty, so as not to delay the operator, who might likely wish to uncouple several cars while the engine was backed, I provide a gravity-arm E, pivoted at e to and between cars a aforesaid. The arm, as shown in Fig. 5, has a tongue E, that extends through a slot a in front or outside of head D. Arm F. has shoulders c, adapted to engage the under side of pins 1) when the parts are in position with slide B elevated and with arm E in approximately vertical position maintained by gravity. Now when the cars are pushed together for uncoupling, head D will have been hacked or moved inward, and hence does not hold lever E in its tilted position, and when slide B is elevated arm E is snubbed back by pins b, but immediately swings forward again, so that shoulders e engage pins Z) and hold slide B elevated. The operator can now go about his business, and when the cars draw apart, so that head D again advances and tilts lever E, the arrangement is such that pins d engage shoulders I) just before shoulders e are disengaged from pins 1).

In coupling the cars, as the bumpers of the cars come together, so that coupling-bar O pushes back head D and thereby releases slide B, the slide falls by gravity and locks bar 0. When slide B is'elevated, whereby shoulders Z) I) rest on pins d the bottom of pins 1) are about on a line with shoulders c say an eighth of an inch, more or less, apart and when slide B has descended something less than a quarter of an inch shoulders (2 cannot engage pins 1), and the slide will fall this distance before arm E has time to swing forward. \Vhen one end of the coupling-bar is in position, the cars being uncoupled by reason of the pressure of head D on the coupling-bar, shoulders e of the bar engage slide B with sufficient force to hold the couplingbar in approximately a horizontal position, so that the free end thereof will always enter the opposing coupler.

That I claim is- 1. Acombined automatic carand pipe coupler comprising a hollow coupling-pin having rounded enlarged head, a draw-bar having an internal spring-actuated head adapted to engage the rounded ends of such coupling-bar, and a gravity coupling-slide adapted to lock the coupling-bars, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with hollow couplingbars having enlarged semi-spherical heads, of adraw-bar having an internal spring-actuated head adapted to engage the couplingbar, forming a ball-and-socket joint therewith, said head having a pipe attachment in open relation with the bore of the coupling-bar, and a gravity coupling-slide adapted to lock the coupling-bar, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a hollow couplingbar having enlarged rounded heads, and a draw-bar having an internal spring-actuated head adapted to engage such coupling-bar, such head being provided with forwardlyprojecting pins, of a gravity coupling-slide having recessed sections adapted, respectively, to engage the coupling-bar and to admit the head of the coupling-bar, such coupling-bar having internal shoulders adapted to engage and rest on the pins of the head for holding the coupling-slide elevated, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with hollow couplingbar and draw-bar having an internal springactuated sliding head having a seat adapted to engage the head of the coupling-bar, of a gravity-arm pivoted to and depending from the draw-bar and having a tongue extending inside the draw-barin advance of the sliding head, and a gravity coupling-slide having pins to engage the shoulders of such gravityarm for holding the slide elevated, substan tially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence'of two witn esses, this 15th day of March, 1890.

ARTHUR O. GROVER.

Witnesses:

(J. H. DORER, WILL B. SAGE. 

